Monica and Friends: Lessons

Monica and Friends: Lessons

Although the story in this sequel is more balanced than in first film, which had too much stretched action, I preferred the previous movie because I felt there much more of the magic realism of Limoeiro town. Problems I mentioned in my review for the first film obviously continued in this sequel: "I did not like very much the somewhat conservative way to present character's hair and appearance (although, as the story was immersive, spectator "forgets" it and becomes convinced for a while that the children over there are Cebolinha, Mônica, Cascão and Magali. Worse than the too hairy hairstyles of Cebolinha and Cascão (why not shaving on the sides and back?) is the fact that [...] Cascão [...] simply did not look dirty! Did producers forgot to buy charcoal? More serious than that, however, is the "whitewashing" of the character: Cascão is clearly light black in cartoon but they chose a white actor with long curly hairs. The children's parents did not have a proper casting either (only Dona Cebola was considerably similar to the drawing)." The clothes were more distant to the comics here than in the previous movie too. However, the friendship story in this film is consistent, there is the introduction of some more classic characters, and the Shakespeare issue worked well. Not a decision I liked, but the issue of overcoming self constraints was well addressed in the script too.

This film is really odd because who is their targeted audience? Is it for the adults that grew up reading/watch Turma da Mônica? Or is it for the new generation of kids? Either way this production fails to deliver to either market. It is too shallow to be a film for the adults, and it also lacks the vraisemblance nowadays kids would have to feel like this film represents them. I mean: hopscotch, skipping rope, yo-yo, clapping games, hula hoop, passing notes? Kids these days, I mean, most kids for the last 15 years haven't been doing this. Another problem is how unreasonable parents were written, it is an adult writing how a child supposedly thinks how their parents behave. It is beyond me how some adults belittle children's intelligence and that children would be the immature ones. Terrible way how they deal with Magali's supposedly anxiety. "Learn to wait" or "to stop being anxious just have fun". Anxiety is a real problem, this should have been worded better, or develop Magali's issue as a real anxiety, just don't say stuff like anxiety is a thing people can turn on and off in their brain. Now on a light complaint, why did Nimbus's character shows up out of nowhere? He just appears at Franjinha's lab like he was participating in the film since the start. Tonhão is a bully just because. There is no reason behind Tonhão going after Cebolinha and Cascão, sure bullies don't need a reason to bully, but this comes out of nowhere and they solve the issue with the "there is always a bigger fish".

The first movie was good, pretty good. And they improved even better and the sequence. Many beautiful, emotive moments; very fine and well made production. I was a child that spent every evening reading Turma da Monica, and this movies make me smile, have great memories and emotions, and feel that everything is so well represented.

Trailer—Turma da Mônica: Lições